Expo teaches art of eco-friendly gardening

In the hopes of improving the water quality throughout its watersheds, the city of Stamford will sponsor an event to teach the community and neighboring areas about eco-friendly gardening practices.

Mayor Dannel Malloy's environmental task force, "Sustainable Stamford," will co-host the first-ever Sustainable Gardening Expo on Thursday, May 28, from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Stamford Government Center. The event is in cooperation with the Bartlett Arboretum, the Mill River Collaborative and the Stamford Nature Center and is free for the public.

"We have three major rivers in Stamford and the coastline, and what we do in our gardens effects the water quality," said Erin McKenna, of the city's Land Use Bureau. "One of the missions of Sustainable Stamford is outreach, and that's exactly what this event is about."

At least 25 vendors and organizations associated with sustainable gardening will display helpful hints on creating the perfect garden throughout the Expo, said McKenna.

A series of five lectures, including one in Spanish, will also be given during the evening to teach gardeners of all skill levels about water quality issues in Stamford, the restoration of the Mill River and the use of native plant species to create a sustainable garden, she said.

"We're hoping to educate the public as to alternatives to invasive plants, which are a major economic threat, as well as an environmental threat," said Eric Morgan, Curator of Botany at Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens.

It's estimated that invasive plants cost the national economy $6 billion a year, said Morgan.

"We need to keep nature the way it is," said Jeannette Brown, executive director of the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority.

As part of the Expo, Brown will promote the WPCA's Stormwater Quality Management Plan.

"When I was growing up, my grandparents had a rain barrel, and they would use the rain barrel to collect rain and water their gardens," said Brown. "We need to go back to things like that. Water reuse is the way of the future."

Stamford has already proven its commitment to improving water quality throughout the city's watersheds, as evidenced by its wastewater treatment plant and the ongoing restoration of the Mill River, Malloy said at a press conference Tuesday.

"This first-of-its kind Sustainable Gardening Expo is an opportunity to get the community and our neighboring communities involved in the process," he said.